The gap between No. 1 and No. 2 in this week’s USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll narrows a bit, but it’s Minnesota that is still the top team in the country.
This week, after splitting with Michigan last weekend, the Gophers earned 36 first-place votes.
New No. 2 Union, up one from No. 3 after defeating Dartmouth in two straight in an ECAC Hockey quarterfinal series, garnered the other 14 first-place nods from the voting panel.
Boston College fell one to No. 3 after losing two of three in a Hockey East quarterfinal to Notre Dame, Ferris State moved up two spots to No. 4 with a two-game sweep of Bemidji State in the WCHA quarterfinals and Quinnipiac is up one to No. 5 after winning both from Yale in an ECAC Hockey quarterfinal.
Wisconsin drops one to sit sixth after a split with Michigan State, Massachusetts-Lowell is up one notch to No. 7 after taking two of three in a Hockey East quarterfinal from Vermont, St. Cloud State tumbles four places to No. 8 after getting upset in two straight by Miami in the NCHC quarterfinals, Providence swept Maine in a Hockey East quarterfinal to stay ninth and Notre Dame is up one to sit 10th this week.
At No. 11, North Dakota is down one after winning its NCHC quarterfinal against Colorado College, Michigan is up one to No. 12, Cornell falls one after taking two of three from Clarkson in its ECAC Hockey quarterfinal, Colgate rises three to sit 14th with a sweep in its ECAC Hockey quarterfinal versus St. Lawrence and Minnesota State moves up three to No. 15 with a two-game sweep of Northern Michigan in its WCHA quarterfinal series.
Vermont lost two of three to UML and sits 16th, down one from last week, Northeastern falls three places to No. 17 after losing its Hockey East quarterfinal to New Hampshire, which is now back in the poll at No. 18. Western Michigan is also back in the rankings at No. 19 after sweeping Minnesota-Duluth in its NCHC quarterfinal, while Yale drops four to go to No. 20 this week.
The USCHO.com Division I Men’s Poll consists of 50 voters, including 28 coaches from the Division I conferences and 22 beat writers and sports professionals from across the country.
